GH3 Favorite Lens for Interviews?

If I had to pick one lens? Just one lens?

I'D GO INSAAAAAAANNNEEE!!!!!

Go-to's are the Voigt 17.5/.95, Summilux-R 35 (with or without SpeedBooster), and Sigma 50-150/2.8 (with or without SpeedBooster). I'm fixing to dump a bit of cash on a Sigma 18-35/1.8 soon to ideally give me that single-lens solution for interview medium shots... should pair well with the 50-150. Sometimes I'll go with an olde-timey Oly OM prime or my old standy, a Vivitar Series 1 28-90. Also used the 12-35, 14-50, and 14-140 on more than one occasion, and an ultrawide on a few others. Perhaps I have too many lenses, or am indecisive... one or the other.
 
funny this comes up as I'm assembling my new demo reels... yeah, I really used the crap out of the boosted 50-150 this year.
 
Olympus 45mm F1.8 is the clearest, sharpest and perfect focal length for me. I also love the 35-100 F2.8 Panasonic - more versatile but I don't think as sharp as the Oly.
 
mcbob said:
If I had to pick one lens? Just one lens?

I'D GO INSAAAAAAANNNEEE!!!!!

Go-to's are the Voigt 17.5/.95, Summilux-R 35 (with or without SpeedBooster), and Sigma 50-150/2.8 (with or without SpeedBooster). I'm fixing to dump a bit of cash on a Sigma 18-35/1.8 soon to ideally give me that single-lens solution for interview medium shots... should pair well with the 50-150. Sometimes I'll go with an olde-timey Oly OM prime or my old standy, a Vivitar Series 1 28-90. Also used the 12-35, 14-50, and 14-140 on more than one occasion, and an ultrawide on a few others. Perhaps I have too many lenses, or am indecisive... one or the other.
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I almost emailed you directly ;)

I'm worried anything less than 1.8 will be too shallow and give me focus problems under normal head/body movement.

For or a typical med head shot, what circumstances are causing you to range all the way from an ultra wide to a solid zoom? My guess would be room size, lighting, and background?

With all else being equal, what lens would you reach for first?
 
Ianscreations said:
I almost emailed you directly ;)

I'm worried anything less than 1.8 will be too shallow and give me focus problems under normal head/body movement.
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Depends on the lens, positioning, and movement. I can be wide open on the 17.5 or 25 positioned just across a table for a belly-up medium shot, and most normally-animated folks will stay focused (maybe with minor adjustment). If I'm at an ECU at f2 on the boosted Sigma, I'll only have one eye in focus and have to operate that constantly.

For or a typical med head shot, what circumstances are causing you to range all the way from an ultra wide to a solid zoom? My guess would be room size, lighting, and background?
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Yep, yep, and yep. If the background is more interesting, I'll go wider and set up closer... Or set up closer if the room is smaller; if there's enough space and the background is nothing special, I'll long-lens it and blur the ever loving snot out of it. Basically whatever works to either place the subject or separate them as the content dictates.
With all else being equal, what lens would you reach for first?
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apparently in 2013 it was my boosted 50-150 (35-105/f2, I guess). It's certainly nice to have quick reframing capabilities during an interview.
 
Ianscreations said:
Nice example. So I guess the closest m4/3 equivalent lens would be the Voightlander 25mm f/.95?
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No, a 50mm lens is a 50 mm lens - it doesn't matter which format it was designed for. I guess the closest m/43 lens would be the 45mm.

For interviews I get a lot of usage out of my Samyang 35mm.
 
Ianscreations said:
Nice example. So I guess the closest m4/3 equivalent lens would be the Voightlander 25mm f/.95?
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Thanks! But the equivalent in Micro 4/3 is a 50mm lens.

Rowy said:
No, a 50mm lens is a 50 mm lens - it doesn't matter which format it was designed for. I guess the closest m/43 lens would be the 45mm.
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Exactly. The interview I posted was shot with the 50mm lens on a GH3. That's what a 50mm lens looks like on any Micro 4/3 camera. A 25mm lens would look much wider than that on a GH3.

The best part: The Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 lens costs around $90 on eBay. Best purchase ever.
 
I'm willing to bet the new 42.5mm f1.2 is pretty darn good for interviews. That is if you don't mind spending $1,600.00 for it.

50mm is typically my go to range for interviews. I really like my Canon 50mm f1.8 although a bit soft compared to all my other lenses. Now I tend to use my Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens since it is a nice detailed m43 lens and a nice tighter look. Not as bright of course but I tend to use lights so not as much of a concern.

The Olympus 75mm f1.8 might be another killer option. Really tight shots without crowding the subject too much.

Honestly I hate doing interviews with any lens wider than 50mm. I feel like the camera starts to get too close to the subject and they start to get uncomfortable. I find people tend to not like a bunch of gear crammed in their face. The more breathing room I can give them the better. Considering getting the Rokinon 85mm f1.4 m43 for this reason.
 
Favorite lens : Olympus 45mm. Sharp, clean, great colors.

If there is no space to use the 45mm, I would use the Panasonic 20mm pancake
 
Thomas Smet said:
Honestly I hate doing interviews with any lens wider than 50mm. I feel like the camera starts to get too close to the subject and they start to get uncomfortable. I find people tend to not like a bunch of gear crammed in their face. The more breathing room I can give them the better.
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If the subject is comfortable enough with you, it won't matter much at all where the camera is... if anything, I've felt a bit more discomfort from folks if I'm sniping them with long glass from across the room. Of course, this all depends on the personality, situation, amount of lighting/grip/crew/etc hovering about them, and so forth... my example may only hold true for the One Man Band + key and backlight and single lav situations I usually work.

For whatever it's worth, here's some examples from my old demo reel (which is currently my current demo reel in the process of becoming my old demo reel sometime this or next week). I'll list lens used and reasoning behind it (whether it worked or not, up to you - I don't claim to be the authority). No Speedboosted, Sigma 50-150, Voigt 17.5, or 12-35 shots here as this predated those. Of note - these are a mix of AF100 and GH2:

https://vimeo.com/33314421

Rundown on the shots:
1. Summicron 50 @f2.8 Shot in a relatively small private library, and my first time working with this client (so honestly I was the nervous one that wanted some distance)
2. Leica 14-50 @~20-25mm, f3.5 Very very small conference room with minimum space to set up and featureless walls. Director wanted single camera with framing changes, so I did periodic push-ins with the 14-50 (very smooth zoom for doing such) and tried to catch the Churchill bust in the corner when possible.
3. PL25 @f1.6 a ~12x12 glass-walled meeting room within an office, and people milling about everywhere. Framed at one of the outside-facing meeting room doors, let that light go blue for contrast, and blurred the crap out of everything with the aim of creating a semi-abstract motion background
4. Lumix 20 @f2 2-camera shoot; wider angle to get a sense of the space
5. Vivitar 50/1.7 @f2 2-camera shoot; closer angle
6. Lumix 20 w/ 0.6x WA converter wanted a solid sense of space
7. Summicron 50 @f2 very very busy bookshelf-and-window-lined office, still too cluttered and lighting uneven, I've come to hate this shot and wonder why I put it in there
8. Micro-Nikkor 55 @ f3.5 very very small ugly microscope room, camera actually positioned outside of the door, using all available/practical light. Not certain why I picked this one either.
9-10. Vivitar S1 28-90 @~50-80mm, f4-4.5 White background shoot - not super interesting setup but get frequent call for these. Love this lens.
11. Vivitar 50/1.7 @f1.7 2-camera shoot, closeup
12. Lumix 20 @f1.7 2-camera shoot, wide
13. Vivitar 50/1.7 @f1.7 2-camera shoot, closeup
 
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mcbob said:
If the subject is comfortable enough with you, it won't matter much at all where the camera is... if anything, I've felt a bit more discomfort from folks if I'm sniping them with long glass from across the room. Of course, this all depends on the personality, situation, amount of lighting/grip/crew/etc hovering about them, and so forth... my example may only hold true for the One Man Band + key and backlight and single lav situations I usually work.

For whatever it's worth, here's some examples from my old demo reel (which is currently my current demo reel in the process of becoming my old demo reel sometime this or next week). I'll list lens used and reasoning behind it (whether it worked or not, up to you - I don't claim to be the authority). No Speedboosted, Sigma 50-150, Voigt 17.5, or 12-35 shots here as this predated those. Of note - these are a mix of AF100 and GH2:

https://vimeo.com/33314421

Rundown on the shots:
1. Summicron 50 @f2.8 Shot in a relatively small private library, and my first time working with this client (so honestly I was the nervous one that wanted some distance)
2. Leica 14-50 @~20-25mm, f3.5 Very very small conference room with minimum space to set up and featureless walls. Director wanted single camera with framing changes, so I did periodic push-ins with the 14-50 (very smooth zoom for doing such) and tried to catch the Churchill bust in the corner when possible.
3. PL25 @f1.6 a ~12x12 glass-walled meeting room within an office, and people milling about everywhere. Framed at one of the outside-facing meeting room doors, let that light go blue for contrast, and blurred the crap out of everything with the aim of creating a semi-abstract motion background
4. Lumix 20 @f2 2-camera shoot; wider angle to get a sense of the space
5. Vivitar 50/1.7 @f2 2-camera shoot; closer angle
6. Lumix 20 w/ 0.6x WA converter wanted a solid sense of space
7. Summicron 50 @f2 very very busy bookshelf-and-window-lined office, still too cluttered and lighting uneven, I've come to hate this shot and wonder why I put it in there
8. Micro-Nikkor 55 @ f3.5 very very small ugly microscope room, camera actually positioned outside of the door, using all available/practical light. Not certain why I picked this one either.
9-10. Vivitar S1 28-90 @~50-80mm, f4-4.5 White background shoot - not super interesting setup but get frequent call for these. Love this lens.
11. Vivitar 50/1.7 @f1.7 2-camera shoot, closeup
12. Lumix 20 @f1.7 2-camera shoot, wide
13. Vivitar 50/1.7 @f1.7 2-camera shoot, closeup
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Very nice! The lighting is great in these samples. My favorites are the hospital setting and the "abstract" one.
Based on this list, I think my 35-100 will be an option along with my 25 1.4. I really would like to pick up that Canon 50mm prime for $100 though!
 
If you're looking for an old 50, ProCamera in town has scads of used legacy lenses... Or you can borrow mine
 
Ianscreations said:
I really would like to pick up that Canon 50mm prime for $100 though!
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If so, make sure you get the Canon FD kind (which are the old Canon lenses), not the Canon EF or EOS. FD lenses are fully manual, and don't require an electronic lens mount adapter to control aperture. All you'd need in addition to the lens is a cheap FD to m4/3 adapter (I got mine on eBay for $20).
 
A different take...

There's no shortage of excellent primes to pick from. I don't see that as an issue. What is an issue, is the reality of a corporate shoot and the need for flexibility. While I have shot primes in some instances, most of the time the flexibility of a zooms variable focal length's is a necessity. While I would like to shoot corporate interviews with a prime 100% of the time, 80% of the time it's too limiting.

That being said, my Zeiss 1.4 and 35-100 are a nice way to go, wide open of course... ;-)
 
If it's a large room I'll shoot with my 35-100mm f/2.8 wide-open. Otherwise, if the room is small ( or if I have to use a teleprompter ), I'll shoot with my 12-35mm f/2.8.

At some point I would like to add a few Olympus primes ( 12mm, 25mm, 45mm, 75mm ), but the Panasonic f/2.8 zooms can handle almost anything I need to shoot right now.
 
Used a M4/3 camera the other day for interview tight shots with a Zeiss 100mm f2.0 while a full frame cam was getting the medium shot with a Zeiss 85mm f1.4.
 
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